Paper folding device



Nov. 9, 1965 K. M. SANO 3, 16,7 0

PAPER FOLDING DEVICE Filed July 15, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 9 KAREL MARCEL SANO ATTORNEY Nov. 9-, 1965 K. M. SANO 3,216,720

PAPER FOLDING DEVICE Filed July 15, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 9, 1965 K. M. SANO 3,216,720

PAPER FOLDING DEVICE Filed July 15, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR United States Patent 3,216,720 PAPER FOLDING DEVICE Karel Marcel Sano, Borsbeek, Belgium, assignor to Gevaert Photo-Producten N.V., Mortsel-Antwerp, Belgium Filed July 13, 1962, Ser. No. 209,738 9 Claims. (Cl. 270-86) The present invention relates to a process for continuously folding webs of paper and synthetic material in the longitudinal direction, and to a device for executing this process.

Apparatus are already known for continuously folding webs of paper and synthetic material in the longitudinal direction, wherein the folding operation is realized by guiding the webs in a funnel-shaped folder member or over a plate with converging edges such as for example the folding devices in the newspaper industry, which are connected to the rotary presses and wherein the newspapers are folded before cutting, furthermore the folding apparatus in the packing industry, etc. These folding apparatus show the disadvantages that they are relatively long and can be adjusted only with difiiculty. Moreover it is quite impossible to introduce in a continuous way other Webs into an already folded web.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to overcome these disadvantages.

According to the invention the folding of the webs is realized in that, in the folding point, i.e. the point where the folding of the flat web starts, the already folded part of the web effects a returning movement in respect of the part of the web which is still to be folded, in such a way that the already folded part of the web is moving in a plane which is perpendicular to the part of the web to be folded and the exterior side of the fold is directed towards the part to be folded.

As an important advantage of the process according to the present invention it has to be mentioned that the fold shaping operation is done very simply. Indeed, a device for executing the present folding process necessitates no shaping accessories or parts, since it only requires a flat plate over which the not yet folded web is supplied, and a driving mechanism with which the folded web is carried off.

The process according to the invention shows the further advantage that owing to the very sharp bending of the web in that area where the fiat part of the web is changed into the fold, the material is practically speaking, paralysed.

Thereby a very flexible fold is obtained and the material has but little tendency to return to its fiat unfolded position.

Finally, the process according to the present invention has the advantage that, due to the returning movement of the folded web, the introduction of other strips or webs, either folded or not, between the folded material is possible.

With reference to the accompanying drawings representing some embodiments, the invention will now be illustrated in particular.

FIGURE 1 shows the start of the folding of the web;

FIGURE 2 shows the further folding operation and FIGURE 3 shows the completely formed fold of the web;

FIGURE 4 represents the driving system of the web;

FIGURE 5 is a top view of a web which is folded by means of 2 conical members or cones;

FIGURE 6 is a top view of a web which is folded by means of 2 shaping members;

FIGURE 7 is a front view of a web having an open fold;

FIGURE 8 represents in diagram a packing system.

3,216,720 Patented Nov. 9, 1965 The FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 represent how the fold in the Web is made.

The fold 2 of the Web 1 is formed by folding the material in an upward direction as indicated by the arrow, so that 2 conical sections 3 and 4 are formed the top angles of which join each other in point 5 (FIG. 1).

When the fold 2 is further completed a form is obtained having two clearly designed conical surfaces, the top angles of which converge into point 5 (FIG. 2).

When the fold 2 rests on the not yet folded part of the web 1, the conical sections 3 and 4 are fully formed; when the folded part 6 of the web 1 is moved in the direction of the arrow, the web is folding itself in the top angle at point 5 (FIG. 3).

In order to execute the folding of the web 1 in a continuous way, the part to be folded and the already folded part of this web have to be driven. A diagram of a driving system is represented in FIG. 4, showing the rollers 17, 18-19 for moving the not yet folded web, and the roller pair 20-21 for moving the already folded web. If both roller pairs are rotating at equal peripheral speed, the point 5 in which the folding of the web starts, will not be displaced over the base plate 22. The fold is automatically formed by the returning movement of the vertically folded part of the web over the part of the web which has still to be folded; no supporting or shaping plate is required for the formation of the fold.

As the material 1 is folded in point 5 over a very sharp angle, the elasticity of the material all over the fold is practically neutralized. As a result thereof a very flexible and straight fold is obtained. Even, when after its folding, the web is cut into shorter strips, these separate strips have no tendency to unfold.

Owing to the slip and friction phenomena which occur during the moving of the web, the point 5 will not remain on the same place but it will move towards the rollers 17, 18-19 or respectively away from these rollers. In order to avoid these phenomena the position of the folding point 5 can for example be controlled by an optical or a mechanical system which controls the driving mechanism of the roller pairs or units 20-21 and/or 17, 18-19, Variations in the peripheral speeds of these roller pairs will cause the folding point 5 to remain on the same place.

According to another embodiment the folding operation can also be executed with 2 cone-shaped members as shown in FIG. 5, so that there is no problem any more as to the driving mechanism, explained above. Indeed, the not yet folded web is supplied by the pulling action of the folded part of the web over both the cones or cone-shaped members 13 and 14. These cones can solidly be fitted in place, but in this case, however, a smooth and frictionless surface is required.

With reference to the embodiment represented in FIG. 5 it has to be noticed that the dimensions of the coneshaped members are taken in such a way that each of the lengths of the 2 curved parts 9, 12 and 7, 10 is equal to twice the length of the sharply formed fold (FIGS. 3 and 5). This can be shown as follows: A line 7, 9 being perpendicular to the axis of the web will still be perpendicular to this axis after a folding of said web over viz. the lines 10, 8 and 12, 8. The points 10 and 12 converge.

Since the web material is not subjected to any deformation, the sharply formed fold excepted, each of the lengths 7, 10 and 9, 12 measured all over the edges of the curved part of the web 1, must be equal to the product of the lengths 8, 5 and 5, 11, i.e. twice the length 5, 8 of the sharply formed fold (FIGS. 3 and 5).

Considering the above relations, the top angles of the cone-shaped members 13 and 14 (FIG. 5) can be deter- 3 mined, or alternatively the members 15 and 16 (FIG. 6) can be designed accordingly.

The top angles of the cone-shaped members 13 and 14 and of the guide members 15 and 16 do not extend as far as the folding point because the web 1 is folding up itself, merely by the returning movement of the already folded part over the flat not yet folded part of the web. It is, however, possible to make the dome-shaped members 13, 14 or the guide plates and 16 reach as far as the folding point 5. In this alternative embodiment, however, the risk of damaging the web-like material enhances, whereas no improvement in the fold itself results therefrom. The sideways movement of the web, due to the structural imperfection of the material can be avoided by mounting, to the left and to the right alongside the web, guide elements which prevent the deviation of the moving web from its course.

Although the description so far relates to a sharp fold, it may be desired for some purposes, to obtain an unsharp fold having an open profile, e.g. a rectangular profile as shown in FIG. 7. To realize such a rectangular profile the top angles of the shaping elements 13 and 14 have to be fitted at some distance from each other. Without any further adaptation, one would nevertheless obtain a sharp fold as explained above (FIGS. 5 and 6). Therefore a member 23 is used which assures an open fold with a clean rectangular profile.

From the foregoing it is quite evident that according to the process of the present invention the web-like material can be continuously folded in longitudinal direction to a sharply rectangularly profiled fold.

Moreover, this process has the further advantage that other webs, strips or sheets can be introduced in the folded material in a very simple way. For example, it can be seen on FIG. 4 that the formed fold is accessible over its full height in point 5. If in that area one or more other webs are introduced longitudinally into the opening between the 2 conical parts 3 and 4 of the web 1, these other webs are carried along by the movement of the folded web and are transported by the roller pairs -21.

Such a process is among others particularly appropriate to meet the packing problems of the X-ray films. As known X-ray films consist of a film sheet emulsified at both sides which is packed in a paper wrapping folder or envelope. Hitherto the packing of this X-ray film sheet in the wrapping folder or envelope was done by manual operation.

If this packing is efi'ected according to the process of the present invention the entire packing operation is much simplified.

FIG. 8 represents in diagram an embodiment of such a packing system. The X-ray film 24 and the packing paper 25 are each supplied from a supply roll in a continuous way. The packing paper web 25 is folded by means of a system as shown in FIG. 6. When the film web 24 is brought inside the folded paper web 25, it is moved on by the roller pair 2627. By the cutting device 28, positioned behind this roller pair 26-27, both the webs 24 and 25 are cut into predetermined pieces or strips at regular distances so that finally film sheets, packed in a wrapping folder 29 are obtained. These packed film sheets can be removed and carried off by a suitable device.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for continuously folding paper and plastic sheet material about a folding point comprising in combination a pair of sheet feeding roller units for moving the sheet material in one direction and disposed in advance of the folding point with respect to the direction of movement of the material,

at least one of said units comprising two coaxially spaced rollers with a transverse opening therebetween, a pair of pressure rollers disposed behind said feeding rollers above and substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the material moving in said one direction,

the nip of said pressure rollers being substantially aligned with said opening in said feeding rollers and adapted to receive and press together the upwardly turned transversely intermediate wall portions of the folded material,

said folded material passing from the folding point through said opening in said one roller and between said pressing rollers.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a support plate is mounted after said sheet feeding means under the folding point and extends in the plane of said sheet material.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising means for conducting a strip of material at the folding point between said upturned wall portions and between said pressing means.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said sheet feeding means and said pressing means are operable at a predetermined speed to move the sheet material at the same speed before and after the folding point.

5. Apparatus for continuously folding paper and plastic sheet material comprising in combination a support plate in contact with the sheet material being fed and mounted below the folding point of the material,

and a pair of drawing cones mounted above the sheet material and rotatable in opposite directions to draw the sheet material over said support plate in a forward direction in one plane and in a reverse direction in an other plane close to said one plane to fold the material upon itself,

said drawing cones forming from the folding point of the material upwardly turned transversely intermediate wall portions defining a longitudinally extending fold, said drawing cones engaging said intermediate wall portions and pressing said wall portions toward each other.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the axes of said cones intersect at the folding point of the sheet material.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said drawing cones are truncated cones.

8. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein spacing means are disposed between said drawing cones transversely of the sheet material, said upturned wall portions passing between said spacing means and said drawing cones to produce an open fold.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a pair of spaced guide plates are disposed transversely above the sheet material between the folding point and said pressing means, said wall portions passing through the space between said guide plates toward said pressing means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 233,995 11/80 Crowell 270-94 X 359,584 3/87 Watson 270-86 2,094,866 10/37 Aeschbach 27086 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT E. PULFREY, Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY HOLDING PAPER AND PLASTIC SHEET MATERIAL ABOUT A FOLDING POINT COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A PAIR OF SHEET FEEDING ROLLER UNITS FOR MOVING THE SHEET MATERIAL IN ONE DIRECTION AND DISPOSED IN ADVANCE OF THE FOLDING POINT WITH RESPECT TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE MATERIAL, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID UNITS COMPRISING TWO COAXIALLY SPACED ROLLERS WITH A TRANSVERSE OPENING THEREBETWEEN, A PAIR OF PRESSURE ROLLERS DISPOSED BEHIND SAID FEEDING ROLLERS ABOVE AND SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULARLY TO THE 